Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department holds information on whether Yoav Gallant travelled through British airspace in December 2024.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We do not hold this information.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if the Government will meet with family members of Palestinian (a) abductees and (b) hostages held without (i) charge and (ii) trial in Israeli detention facilities.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are deeply concerned by reports of the mistreatment of Palestinian detainees held in Israeli detention centres. The UK continues to reiterate calls for Israel to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) unfettered and immediate access to detention facilities. We continue to raise this with the Israeli government as a priority. The Foreign Secretary, the Minister for Development, the Foreign Secretary's Representative for Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (FSRHA) and I regularly meet NGOs to discuss topics including prisoners and detainees. The UK has always been clear that an immediate ceasefire is just the first step towards a lasting solution to this crisis. We are closely monitoring the situation and will continue to engage with international partners to ensure full implementation of the agreement, including the release of all hostages.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on UNRWA’s operations in (a) Gaza and (b) the West Bank.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK remains opposed to the Israeli Knesset legislation suspending UNRWA operations, which came in to force on 30 January. The vital work of UNRWA in ensuring that Palestinians have access to education, healthcare and other essential services must be protected across Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. On 31 January, we joined with Germany and France to call on Israel to abide by its international obligations and live up to its responsibility to ensure full, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian assistance and the provision of basic services to the civilian population. The Foreign Secretary also raised this on 13 January with Foreign Minister Sa'ar, during his visit to the region. The Minister for Development set out our concerns with Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Haskel on 4 December, while the Foreign Secretary's Representative for Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territories raised this with the Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs on 23 January.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Israeli counterparts on the detention of Dr Hussam Abu Safiya.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are concerned by the reports of the detention of Dr Hussam Abu Safiya and others. In recent weeks, I have raised this case with both Israel's Ambassador to the UK, and Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Haskel. Israel must allow medical staff to carry out their work unimpeded, and to travel around Gaza as needed. Whilst we don't comment on specific non UK national cases, the government does raise international humanitarian law compliance regularly with Israel.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to support the delivery of aid in (a) Gaza and (b) the West Bank after 30 January 2025.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is investing in the ceasefire, which is why the Minister for Development announced £17 million in humanitarian funding on 28 January to ensure healthcare, food and shelter reaches tens of thousands of civilians, and to rebuild vital infrastructure across the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs). The UK has now announced £129 million for the OPTs this financial year, including £41 million for the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), providing essential services to civilians in Gaza, the West Bank, and Palestinian refugees across the region delivered through partner agencies. We remain opposed to the anti-UNRWA Knesset legislation and reiterate that the vital work of UNRWA must be protected across Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The UK continues to lead international action to press for a resolution to this urgent issue. On 31 January, we joined with Germany and France to call on Israel to abide by its international obligations and live up to its responsibility to ensure full, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian assistance and the provision of basic services to the civilian population.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to help secure guarantees from Sudan’s warring parties of the safe and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian assistance to conflict-affected populations.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK continues to raise the critical issue of humanitarian access. We did this recently at the UN Security Council on 19 December 2024 and 6 January 2025, where we called for the warring parties to lift bureaucratic impediments and let aid get to those who need it. I have also engaged directly with the new Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, on the UN response. The UK Special Representative, Richard Crowder, met the head of the Sudanese Armed Forces, General Burhan, during his first visit to Sudan and lobbied against current impediments such as visas. On 25 November 2024, the Foreign Secretary chaired a Sudan meeting with G7 and Arab Quint Foreign Ministers to discuss joint steps to improve humanitarian access and increase aid.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to work towards (a) a ceasefire and (b) an end to the conflict in Sudan.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is actively working towards ending the conflict in Sudan. The Foreign Secretary has spoken with regional partners to explore how the UK can assist international mediation efforts. Richard Crowder, UK Special Representative to Sudan, visited Port Sudan in December 2024 - the UK's first official visit to the county since outbreak of conflict in April 2023. He pressed for a resolution to the conflict, and for all parties to engage constructively in mediation talks, including by complying with the Jeddah Declaration of Commitments to Protect Civilians. We also continue to lead efforts in the UN Security Council to support peace and to keep international spotlight on this crisis.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will increase multi-year funding to support (a) the most food-insecure people in Sudan and (b) Sudanese refugees in neighbouring countries.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Ministers will consider Official Development Assistance allocations for 2025/26 over the coming months, and we will publish them in the Annual Report & Accounts in summer 2025. The next phase of the Spending Review will set departmental budgets from 2026/27 to 2029/30.
In November 2024, the UK announced a further £113 million of aid. With this announcement, the UK has doubled our aid to £226.5 million.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which Israeli officials he met on his visit to Israel in January 2025; what topics were discussed; and which issues he raised.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
When the Foreign Secretary travelled to Israel earlier this month, he met Foreign Minister Sa'ar and Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, and discussed ceasefire and hostage negotiations, humanitarian aid into Gaza, as well as other regional issues.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many Special Mission Immunity certificates have been (a) applied for by and (b) granted to each state since 4 March 2013.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Government officials from any country can apply for and be granted special mission certificates as part of official visits to the UK. As set out in a Written Ministerial Statement by the former Foreign Secretary dated 4 March 2013, a special mission is a temporary mission, representing a State, which is sent by one State to another with the consent of the latter, in order to carry out official engagements on behalf of the sending State. Since 4 March 2013, the FCDO has received 68 requests for special missions, of which certificates were issued for visits from the following states: Egypt 35 certificates, Iran 1 certificate, Israel 16 certificates, Qatar 2 certificates, Rwanda 1 certificate and Saudi Arabia 3 certificates. Certificates were not issued for visits that did not meet the criteria for special missions, as set out by the former Foreign Secretary in 2013.